Hundreds gather in Waterford to speak out against suicide

Sky lanterns filled Waterford's night sky Tuesday as hundreds came out for an evening service focused on ending suicide.

The delicate paper lanterns - released about 8:45 p.m. by more than 350 students, parents and children at Hess Hathaway Park on Williams Lake Road - were symbols to remember and to pay tribute to Waterford Kettering High School student, Justin Lowry, who committed suicide Sept. 3.

Event organizer Noah Jutis, a Kettering senior himself, said the gathering was also to remember one of his close friends, Charlie Van Bibber, 17, who died of suicide in January.

Mackenzie DeCovich, 17, a Kettering senior, watched as her lantern floated away. The hour-long gathering was "amazing," she said. "It turned out to be great. I grew up with Justin. It was tough at first (at the school). It's getting better. All this is really helping and everybody is coming together."

Lowry's death touched many in the Waterford community. Students wore red last week in school, and many were wearing red T-shirts and carrying red balloons at the park gathering.

Amelia Lehto, Common Ground crisis line and suicide prevention specialist, spoke to students during the event of losing her best friend to suicide in 1997. "I didn't have the knowledge to intervene," she said. Talking to people if you have issues, she said, "doesn't show weakness."

She urged people to ask for help. The Common Ground phone is 800-231-1127 and its website is commongroundhelps.org.

Base Church Pastor Devine Meyers encouraged the students to learn from the two young men's passing by saying, "I won't let these things happen." He urged people to hug their neighbors. "Look how Justin and Charlie have brought this community together," Meyers said.

Ricky Hack of Waterford said Justin was his cousin. "This (event) means a lot to me and my family," he said.

"The first thing Mrs. Lowry (Justin's mother) said to me was, 'this needs to stop,'" said Hack. He looked up at the lanterns and the crowd. "I love everyone here. As long as we come together as a community, I believe we can make a change."